Hartlepool cut the gap on the leaders to nine points, with three games in hand, after a hard-fought victory over Wolviston who are having their best season since joining the league.

Hartlepool attacked from the kick-off and an Ian Davies shot as early as the second minute resulted in Neil Hay slotting home from close range,.

The lead lasted for only five minutes before Michael Hardy took advantage of a bad rebound to slot home and make it 1-1.

In the 26th minute Kevin Auton tried to clear the ball out of his area but it struck one of his own team-mates and rebounded to Hardy who gleefully slotted home his second of the match.

In second half the home side had advantage of the strong wind but they struggled to penetrate the visitors' defence.

In the 70th minute the advantage swung further in the home side's direction when Andy Harris was sent off.

Hartlepool pressed forward and a substitution in the 83rd minute brought its reward when Dave Clark - who had only been on for six minutes - had his shot parried and Lee Haggan was on hand to knock home the rebound.

With the game apparently heading for a draw, Clark found Hay who tucked away a powerful right-foot shot in the last minute to snatch all three points.

MACKINLAY PARK 0, BEADS 4

REDCAR side Mackinlay Park re main the Jeckyll and Hyde team of the season.

Having beaten champions Grangetown Boys Club 3-1 a week earlier, they crashed at home to BEADS.

They went behind after 30 minutes when Craig Hallett scored his first of the season.

Fourteen minutes into the second half the visitors increased their lead when Andrew Bowman scored, and two minutes later it was all over as a contest when Gary Thompson made it 3-0.

Four minutes later he made it 4-0 with his second of the match and to secure the points.

RICHMOND TOWN 0, GRANGETOWN BC 4

AFTER a three-match winning run, Town were brought down to earth by the champions.

Their November encounter resulted in a narrow 1-0 victory for the Boys' Club but this time the scoreline was greater.

The Boys' Club pressed from kick-off and Richmond had to defend stoutly.

The visitors made no headway until two minutes before half-time when Andy Doddy gave the visitors a 1-0 lead going into the break.

Two minutes into the second half the Boys' Club took a 2-0 lead when Michael Meggison scored to give the home side an uphill task.

Midway through the second half Mark Williams scored to make it 3-0 and he wrapped up the points in the 89th minute to helps his team up into third place on 35 points, eight behind the leaders, but with a game in hand and a second meeting with Thornaby yet to be arranged.

SMG REDSTRIPES 2, CARLIN HOW 0

BILLINGHAM SMG Redstripes saw off second-placed Carlin How.

There was no score in an evenly-contested first half but ten minutes into the second half SMG - who had lost their first meeting 3-1 - took a shock lead through Tony Insall from close range.

Carlin How pressed forward but were unable to break through and in the 80th minute the home side broke clear and Alex Degiorgis made sure of the points.

THORNABY 1, NUNTHORPE ATH 1

LEADERS Thornaby were held by the side who had ended their eight-match winning league run in early November.

In a tight game Thornaby took the lead after a goalless first half, when Martin Speight scored direct from a free-kick.

He bent the ball round the wall with the ball just bouncing in front of the keeper and into the net.

The second half was also tight.

The league's top scorer Michael Arif had a chance to seal victory but chipped over the bar.

Late in the game Nunthorpe started to get back in the match.

And in the last minute a free-kick resulted in a scramble and the ball bounced back of the bar and Martin Gibson knocked home the loose ball with the home side appealing for offside.